Ice cream is one of America’s favorite desserts — we eat almost 21 liters (five whole gallons!) per year — but very few of us know much about how it is made. Today, we’ll take you through a very simplified tour of the process. When you’re done, come by Cruz Creamery in Santa Cruz for your favorite frozen treat! We have delicious Polar Bear ice cream along with many of your other favorite desserts, including shakes, smoothies, sundaes, and floats! You won’t be able to walk out of Cruz Creamery without a big smile on your face, so stop by today and pick up a cone of your favorite flavor!

Ingredients

The best natural ice creams all begin with a small number of ingredients: milk, sugar, cream, and flavorings. The fewer ingredients, the more natural and more delicious the ice cream will be! This small list of required ingredients has remained virtually unchanged since modern ice cream was first invented and modern additions include mixins and preservatives. The only downside to using as few ingredients as possible is that the ice cream won’t last as long, but who has ever had trouble eating ice cream before it had a chance to go bad?

The Mixing Process

The ingredients are carefully heated and mixed. Then, they’re added to a machine that cools the ingredients while stirring them together. Stirring stops the ingredients from separating and it helps to add air into the mix. The air adds volume, which is why you can get a gallon of some ice creams for the price of a quart of higher-quality ice creams. Basically, the more air, the less dense and more creamy the ice cream will be.

After mixing, ice cream is packed into containers and frozen in a freezer set to 0℉ or lower! In order for your ice cream to stay at the right texture and density, it has to stay frozen from this point on. If it heats up too much, the ice crystals will melt and the texture can change dramatically.

Texture Matters

Everyone has their flavor and texture preferences, but did you ever wonder how they make some ice creams that feel different in your mouth compared to other ice creams?

There are several different ways to change the texture of an ice cream:

Adding more sugar lowers the freezing temperature of the cream and milk, so you get a softer ice cream!

For a creamier texture, ice crystals need to be as small as possible, so ice cream makers will stir their concoctions more quickly!

Now that you know how it’s made, come to Cruz Creamery and enjoy a scoop of your favorite ice cream today! Our super fun and comfortable atmosphere is a great place to spend some time with your coworkers, family, or friends while you enjoy some delicious desserts! If ice cream isn’t really your thing or you’re just in the mood for something a little different, we also have super-tasty YoCream frozen yogurt and a selection of fresh fruit smoothies!